It would not be profitable to revive all the scandals of that time.

In general the men elected to the Senate and the House were honest and incorruptible.
There were some exceptions.

Adroit and self-seeking men were often able in the multitude of claims which must necessarily be disposed of by a rapid examination, to impose on Committees of the two Houses.
As one of the managers of the Belknap trial, I alluded to some of the more prominent and undisputed examples of corruption, in the following words: "I said a little while ago that the Constitution had no safeguards to throw away.

You will judge whether the public events of to-day admonish us to look well to all our securities to prevent or power to punish the great guilt of corruption in office.
We must not confound idle clamor with public opinion, or accept the accusations of scandal and malice instead of proof.

But we shall make a worse mistake if, because of the multitude of false and groundless charges against men in high office, we fail to redress substantial grievances or to deal with cases of actual guilt.